Warwickshire

military or catastrophic character disturbed its sunny hills and fertile vales. And even during the reign of Edward VI., which witnessed the historical struggle between the Duke of Somerset

his son Lord Guildford Dudley, on the throne to the exclusion of Mary, half–sister of the late King. The attempt completely failed and resulted in Warwick's execution as a trait

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the rising of the Duke of Suffolk and Sir Thomas Wyatt in February 1554 to depose the Queen and prevent her mar

l memories which the county should for ever honour and cherish with undying love are those of the martyrdom of Robert Glover and Mrs. Joyce Lewis

e in the county increased, until in December 1587 the Lord–Lieutenant received orders from the Queen to provide 600 men, properly selected and equipped. Large loans were also successfully raised, although from the State Papers one gathers that there were a considerable number of families, probably Catholics, who objected to contribute. One great happening only in the county marked this period as one destin

James and his eldest son Prince Henry, and other Protestant noblemen on the opening of the Parliament in November 1605, was in the beginning largely the work of one Robert Catesby, of Bushwood Hall, near Lapworth. Catesby had taken part in the abortive rebellion of the Earl of Essex in the previous reign, but had been pardoned after havin

as a Roman Catholic, a Miss Throckmorton of Coughton Court, near Alcester. His father, originally a Protestant, had been frequently brought to book and fined for recusancy. It was probably the persecution of his father that turned Robert Catesby's undoubted gifts for plotting into the channel of the famous Gunpowder Conspiracy. He at first associated himself with three desperadoes, and ult

ve a hunting match at Dunsmore, near Dunchurch, and then the conspirators, on receiving the news that Guido Fawkes' portion of the work had been

they hung about the street of the little town, or sat in the parlour of the low–gabled Lion Inn, hungering for news. Towards midnight these were thrown into a panic by the arrival of Catesby, Rokewood, Percy, the Wrights,

o Dunchurch, in the hope of still seizing the Princess and raising a rebellion in her name, on reaching the v

ey had to ford a river, and in doing so their arms and ammunition became damp. Whilst drying the powder in front of the fire a spark fell amongst it; an explosion occurred

thumberland family, were shot in the courtyard, where they had intentionally exposed themselves. Rokewood was severely wounded and taken prisoner with Winter, Grant, Morgan, and several less

e and in recent times. With the capture and death of the chief participants, and the ultimate trial and punishment of those who had not succeeded in making good their escape, Warwickshi

ent upon the side of Charles, however, was found Sir William Dugdale of Blythe Hall, the antiquary and historian, who, holding office as one of the royal heralds and as Garter King–at–Arms, journeyed with the King to Nottingham and made the proclamation when the royal standard was set up on

when Prince Rupert gained an advantage over a body of Parliamentarian troops, what may be called the first battle of the war took pl

owing month they set out for London. On the 18th of October Charles was quartered at Packington Old Hall, the home of Sir Robert Fisher, about ten miles to the north–west of Coventry. On the 19th and 20th the Royal forces were at Kenilworth, next day at Southam, and on Saturday, 22nd, Ch

egular horse, with some 700 dragoons. He was thus numerically inferior to the Royalists, whose forces numbered about two thousand more foot. The intention of the Parliamentary leader was to rest h

pickets which he had judiciously stationed on the high ground at Burton Dassett. A hasty council of war was he

ittle town of Kineton, the Tysoe villages, Butler's Marston, Burton Dassett, Warmington, Cropredy, and Wormle

north, the King's standard being placed and displayed on the site now occupied by the Round Tower. The Royal Line was well protected both on its flanks and in the rear; whilst a complete view of the Parliamentarian

mound planted with trees, rode along the lines of his army clad in steel, wearing a star and garter, and a black velvet mantle over his suit of armour. He afterwards addressed the officers, gathered in his tent for last instructions, in these words, "Come life or death, your Kin

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an attack upon a position which was undoubtedly so advantageous as to be worth several thousand men. At about one o'clock it was decided by the King and his officers to descend the steep face of the cliff, and make a frontal attack upon the Parliam

sted in Sir Jacob Astley and General Ruthven, with the King and reserves of pensioners in the rear. Although the day was fine overhead the ground was wet and miry, and proved heavy "going" for troops already fatigued by several days

with considerable loss. Prince Rupert's charge along the right wing met with more success as it drove back Sir James Ramsay and the force under his command. But unhappily for the King the Prince rushed onward

late to retrieve his error of judgment. The enemy's centre had not only stood firm but had advanced, forcing the Royalists to retreat. The arrival of John Hampden, with a body of troops who promptly opened f

ime, in imminent danger of a disastrous and crushing d

e advantage was with some justness claimed by the former. The number of killed was very large, but contemporary estimates are so contradictory that it is almost impossible to obtain figures of any exactness.

onsiderable clearness and accuracy. And the "Sun Rising," a fine, old stone house, has survived the course of the years, as has also the old Beacon Tower, at Burton Dassett, on the summit of which the fi

as all powerful, the "rebels," "sectaries," and "schismatics" gathered thick within its walls, where they deemed immunity from molestation more certain than in unprotected towns. Kenilworth at the commencement of the war had been garrisoned for the King,

memorable event after the battle of Edge Hill was the attack upon and the destru

kshire, no very considerable fighting took place in Warwickshire itself after the burning of Birmingham. It was, however, so near the field of other actions that its peace was perpetually disturbed during the succeeding years, until the final crushing of the Royalist adherents at Naseby on June 14, 1645, and the surrender of th

t his kingship, which ended so disastrously on "Cromwell's day," September 3, 1651, at the battle of Worcester, Warwickshire once more knew the

some of the Lord Protector's men near Bearley Cross. It was in the kitchen of a house at Long Marston that the royal fugitive, to render his

en the latter and the Napoleonic Wars saw many changes, the life of the county was on the whole placid and uneventful. Situated far inland, the wars of the cl

g the county town; and even the anciently renowned city of Coventry had but an uneventf

unthought of as a great ind

ed workmen, and ingenious inventors to itself by reason of its freedom from corporate restrictions. And at the end of the eighteenth century it had commenced to grow and expand, not, of course, at first with the rapidity that was later on to mark its advance; but, nevertheless, with an expansion which was notable and also marked in the

f internecine strife. As was but natural the town, now become a centre of a vast unrepresented population, took an active and prominent part in the agitation which preceded the passing of the gre

here were grave fears that it would be thrown out at the third. An enormous gathering of the Birmingham Union on New Hall Hill, at which 200,000 people were stated to be present, took place in support of the Bill.

enthusiasts and apathetics alike-whose anger and determination to see this measure become law were manifested in no un

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es pai

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rm Bill

orn Laws Birmingham also took its part, and in conn

I., has continued of steady growth, although its "great fame for hearty, wilf

and, indeed, may still be reckoned so. Its well–watered meads and pleasant valleys p

arge numbers called off the land to supply the needs of man power in the army; their places were

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f the latter town temporary dwellings were erected in large numbers to accommodate the munitions workers drawn to Birmingham from all parts of the coun

eriod immediately preceding the outbreak of hostilities; and different fr

ts life from the spring of 1915 to the autumn of 1918. Not only was the very face of the countryside great

increased facilities for output of manufactured articles for which the county has long been famous. Even factories which only needed conversion in comparatively unimportant details to f

f England when industry has learned its lesson, and enterprise is on

mporary dislocation of its life by war, and has retur

med by its women, girls, lads, and older men, gives it a place of honour among the counties of centr